beewstee



(No Model.) 3 sheets-sheet 1. I

W. F. BREWSTBR.

APPARATUS FOR OPERATING SUBMARINE TOBPEDOES. No. 576,088. Patented Peb.2, 1897.. q

(No Model) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

w. F. BREWS'LBR.- P APPARATUS FOR OPERATING SUBMARINB TORPEDOES.

No. 576,088. Patenmd Peu 2, 1897. I

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

`W. F. BRLWSTER. APPARATUS Fon QPERATING SUBMARINE TORPEDOES.

No. 576,088. Patent-ed Pebl, 2, 189V;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM F. BREVSTER, OF-NEV YORK, N. Y.

APPARATUS FOR OPERATING SUBMARINE TORPEDOES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 576,088, datedFebruary 2, 1897.

Application tiled March 1l, 1896. Serial No. 582,797. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, WILLIAM F. BEEWsTEE, of New York, in the county ofNew York and State of N ew York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Systems for Operating Submarine Torpedoes; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as Will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the sam-e.

M y invention relates to an improved system for operating submarinetorpedoes, the object being to provide a submarine track at any point itis desired to protect which will serve to confine the movement of thetorpedo within fixed and predetermined limits and render it operativewithout the necessity of steering or other guiding apparatus and withoutregard to darkness, smoke, or fog.

With this object in View my invention consists, first, in asubmarine-torpedo system comprising a submarine track and aselfpropelling torpedo connected therewith and adapted to be guidedthereby.

M y invention further consists in certain features of construction andcombinations of parts, as will hereinafter be described, and pointed outin the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 illustrates one embodiment of myimproved submarine-torpedo system. Fig. 2 shows one construction ofself-propelling torpedo. Fig. 8 is a view of a float. Fig. 4 representsone suitable construction of trolley. Figs. 5, 6, and 7 representmodified embodiments of the invention, and Figs. 8, 9, 10, and ll areviews of modifications.

A represents a track or cable, which may consist of wire, rope, orothermaterial. Track A may be a single track extending from fort to fortor from point to point across a bay or channel thereof, or a river orharbor, as illustratcd in Fig. l, wherein the trackis supported byfloats at different points, or it may have its ends attached to suitabledrums or other devices for stretching it comparatively taut, asrepresented in Fig. 5, in which case the floats are dispensed with. Ineither construction the self-propelling torpedo, which is connected withthe track and guided thereby, is

constructed to be guided by the single track as the torpedo travels toand vfro across the harbor, river, or other body of water it is desiredto protect. In this embodiment of my invention suitable devices will beprovided for automatically reversing` the propelling mechanism of thetorpedo when it has reached the end of the track and thereby causeit totravel in the opposite direction.

Track A instead of being a single track, requiring the torpedo to travelback and forth, as described, may be a continuous rectangular track, asrepresented in Fig. 7, or a triangular track, as represented in Fig. 6,and may or may not be provided with floats, according'as the conditionsand circumstances may require.

As illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 the track at the turns a is attached torigid track-sections l), which latter have attached thereto suitablewire ropes or chains c, which Amay lead to the shore orto any structurebuilt for their attachment, by means of which the track is stretched andforms a continuous circuit for the travel of the submerged torpedo. The

launching-point B of the torpedo may he located under a bomb-proof orshot-protected room C, and suitable devices may be applied to the trackat this point for checking and stopping the torpedo. The entrance to thebomb-proof room or section C may be protected at low tide by means ofafloating shotproof shutter D, which is constructed to rise and fall withthe tide.

In practice the torpedo may, upon notice hein g given from a lookout ona parapet that an enemys ship is coming in range, be launched so as tostrike the ship as it is crossing the line of' the cable or track. Thespeed of the torpedo maybe regulated and controlled as desired.

lVhere a continuous track is put down, as illustrated in Fig. 6 or Fi g.7, the torpedo may at a high rate of speed patrol the waters it is'intended to defend, and, if need be, it may` be furnished withsufficient propulsive force to ,maintain it in continuous operation forprolonged periods of time-as, for instance,

throughout an entire night or for a long pev riod during a fog.

ICO

lVhen floats arc required to support the cable or track, any approvedform or construction of float may be utilized. One form suitable for thepurpose is shown in Fig. 5, in which is shown a hemisphericalair-chamber 1, fiat on its top and convex on the lower surface. Theobject of this peculiar form is to provide as far as possible againstdisplacement of the track by change of tide and to insure the greatestpossible amount of buoyancy. The shape and construction of the floatsmay of course be widely varied. The number and size of floats necessarywill depend on the size and length of the cable or track and thestrength of the tides. These ioats 1 are anchored in any convenientmanner and are preferably held by one or more cables 2 2, as occasiondemands.

rPhe track or cable is attached to the floats by any suitablesupport-as, for instance, by a support of' the construction illustratedin Fig. 4, which consists of a bar extending upwardly and curved aroundto form an arm and then downwardly around the track or cable. However,any other suitable support maybe employed for the purpose.

The trolleyt employed may consist simply of a grooved wheel G, as shownin Fig. 3, arranged to travel on the track or-cable and attached to thetorpedo by means of short cables, or it may, for example, be constructedas shown in Fig. 4. In this form there is a curved arm S, which extendsaround from a point somewhere above the track or cable to a point on theopposite side thereof. Two diverging spindles` 9 and lO extend upwardlyfrom the lower end of this arm, and on them the sheaves 1l 1l arejournaled, one being disposed on each side of the cable. One of thesespindles, 10, is hinged or pivoted, as at 12, for the arm as aconvenient means for swinging the sheaves apart when necessary to applyor remove the trolley from the track or cable. Then thus pivoted orhinged, a screw 13 or some equivalent means is employed for maintainingthe normal positions of the sheaves relative to each other. Equivaientmeans, such as springs, might be used in any desired form to hold thesheaves in position and at the same time permit them to separateslightly in passing a supporting-arm. The main thing to be providedagainst in this particular form of trolley is the accidentaldisplacement of the trolley from the track or cable. This iseii'ectually accomplished by hollowing out the sheaves so that theyoverreach and embrace more than half of the circumference of the trackor cable; or, in other words, this end is effected by making thegreatest distance between the ends or edges of the sheaves when in theirnormal relations less than the diameter of the cable.

Another object is to give freed-om of lateral movement subject to thepressure caused by tides, as indicated in the positions shown in dottedlilies in Fig. 4. It is evident that other means might be adopted forthe accomplishment of these results, and I have no desire to restrictmyself to details.

In systems where the track is stretched taut and ioats are not employedno cable-supports are needed, and then the ordinary construction ofclosed or locked pulley, as represented in Fig. 9, for connecting thetorpedo with the track or cable, may be used. y

Any self-propelling torpedo B' may be employed in connection with myimproved system. The propulsion force may be a primary or storagebattery, or compressed air, or eX- plosive engine, or the torpedo may beprovided with an electric motor and with means whereby the current maybe transmitted thereto through a conductor from shore or other point. Infact, I in no wise reduce my invention to any particular construction ortype of torpedo.

In the drawings the track is illustrated as being about thirty feetbelow sea-level at low tide, and hence a safe distance below the keel ofany-sized vessel. However, the track may be located at any desired depthbelow lowwater level. The short cables connecting the torpedo with thetrack may be made adjustable in length, so that "the torpedo may be madeto travel from ten to twenty feet, more or less, below the surface ofthe water and strike the keel or hull of any vessel that should attemptto cross the path of its travel.

As has been alluded to, the path of the torpedo may be in a circuitouscourse, in which event it would travel around the harbor indefinitely,or the track or cable might extend directly across from battery tobattery, in which event a net or some other means for catching thetorpedo without exploding it would be provided, as well as alaunchingroom for starting the torpedoes on their course. Some devicemay be made for catching these torpedoes without their exploding or forreversing or stopping their propelling mechanism, but these are featuresof mechanical or electrical detail which need not be furtherdescribedtherein; also, many other details may be developed hereinafter asoccasion may demand, but they do not require description herein. i

Should a torpedo stop at any point, asa means for locating it a smallfloat might be attached to it with sufficient length of rope or cable sothat it would be kept under water and invisible when the torpedo is intransit, owing to the speed of the torpedo and the resistance of thewaterupon it, and would ride to the surface immediately upon thestoppage of the torpedo.

It may be stated that the main object sought to be accomplished by myinvention is the guiding of a torpedo over a track or course so thattorpedoes maybe launched and made to travel in a given path withoutrequiring any aim or without the usual hindranees incident to darkness,fogs, or smoke, the plan ICO IIO

of the present invention being to keep up a constant patrol in thewaters around any point to bc defended, whether it be a fort, battery,or a fleet merely, or a city.

Torpcdoes of minimum weight and cost may be employed in this system,because theyrequire no steering apparatus, which is of necessitycomplicated in construction and uncertain in its operation. Again, thetorpedoes cannot be deiiected from their course by tides or currents andwill not be lost provided they miss their target and become a hiddensource of danger.

It will be evident that the system is extremely simple in itsconstruction and of small initial cost, because a track of wire cable ofsufficient length to protect almost any harbor or river will cost but acomparatively small amount, and, as heretofore stated, the torpedoes donot require steering apparatus of any description, and hence can befurnished at a minimum price. Another important advantage of my improvedsystem is portability and the fact that it may be very quickly installedat any point it is desired to protect temporarily.

In view of the fact that a high rate of speed may be given the torpedoit will be practically impossible for an enemy to grapple and pull up orotherwise destroy the track,because of the almost certain destruction ofany vessel that should make the attempt.

Instead of employing self-propelling torpedoes of suflicient buoyancy tocarry their own propelling mechanism they may be made in two sections,one section carrying the eXplosive charge and the other carrying thepropelling mechanism, and the entire structure may be supported upon andguided by suitable cables. Embodiments of a torpedo of this type arerepresented in Figs. 8, 9, and ll.

A A represent two wire cables which may be stretched taut from point topoint and be arranged so that the torpedo will move backward or forward,or they may be arranged to form a continuous track upon which thetorpedo will travel continuously in the same direction. These cables maybe provided with suitable floats, if desired, in which case thesupporting wheels or pulleys of the torpedo carriage or frame will besuitably constructed to pass over the support connecting the float andcable.

D/ is a frame consisting of uprights d of any desired number andpreferably inwardly inclined at their upper ends. To the upper ends ofthese uprights is secured in any desired manner any suitableconstruction oi' torpedo, which may comprise simply a shell lled withthe explosive charge, and hence will be comparatively small and light.The lower ends of the uprights d are connected by one or more tie-rodsor cross-pieces e, from which the motor-casing E is suspended. Vithincasing E is placed any suitable motor, which is connected with apropeller-shaft f, provided with a propeller g, or the shaft may havea'propeller at each end, if desiredr` primary battery or storage batterymay be placed within casing E, or, instead of a battery, current may betransmitted by a conductor to an electric motor in the casing, or anyother motive power may be employed wit-hin the casing.

Upon cables A A are mounted supporting` wheels g', which are providedwith housings or guides h to retain them against displacement. To theguides h, at points preferably below the cables, are secured the lowerends of the uprights d or the frame connected therewith. Hence it willbe observed that in this construction of torpedo the motor for protwotracks or cables, which may be located at a safe depth to prevent themfrom being tampered with or from being grappled by the enemy, while theexplosive charge of the torpedo is carried at any desired height abovethe motor-casing. If desired, suitable means might readily be providedfor adjusting the height of the torpedo-casing above the cables. At theshore end of the cable or torpedolaunching station the cables may extendover an adjustable float or support, whereby when it is desired to stopthe torpedo the cables may be elevated to such a distance that themotor-casing and propeller will be raised out of the water, and thus thetorpedo brought to a state of rest. This adjustable float may also beutilized in launching the torpedo.

It is evident that other slight changes might be made in the form andarrangement of the several parts described lwithout departing from thespirit and scope of my invention, and hence I do not wish to limitmyself to the exact construction herein set forth; but,

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, isWA 1. In a submarine-torpedo system, asubmerged cable constructed and adapted to constitute a track forguiding and controlling a torpedo in transit, and a torpedo connectedthereto, substantially as set forth.

2. In a torpedo system, the combination with a submerged track or cable,of a selfpropelling torpedo connected with the track and guided thereby.

3. In a torpedo system the combination with a submerged continuoustrack, or cable, of a self-propelling torpedo connected with the trackand guided thereby.

4. In a torpedo system, the combination with a submerged track or cable,of a trolley adapted to travel thereon, and a torpedo to which thetrolley is connected, substantially as set forth.

5. In a torpedo system, the combination with a submerged track or cable,of an autoa mobile torpedo, and a trolley connected with the torpedo andtraveling on the track or cable, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with a series of sub- IOO IIO

IIS

merged floats, of a track or Cable secured to In testimony whereof Ihave signed this and supported by these floats, substantially speeicatonin the presence of two subscribro as set forth. ing Witnesses.

7. The combination with a cable, and a T y w y r 5 buoyant torpedo, of atrolley attached to the ILLIAM I" LREVS FER' torpedo and held againstthe lower side of ll'itnesses: the cable bythe buoyancy of the torpedo,Sub- GEO. F. DOWNING, Stantially as set forth. VERNON E. HODGES.

